By Steve Neavling
Two Republican House committee chairmen issued subpoenas to four senior IRS officials and FBI agents who were involved in the federal investigation into Hunter Biden, they announced in a news release Monday.
Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Jason Smith, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, are examining whether political influence was exerted in the probe into whether President Biden’s son violated any income tax laws.
The subpoenas seek to compel the four IRS and FBI investigators to testify before Congress about an October 2022 meeting that they either attended or had direct knowledge of. During the meeting, according to IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who is leading the Hunter Biden investigation, said that he was “not the deciding person on whether charges are filed” against the president’s son.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has insisted that Weiss, who has since been granted special counsel status, did have “full authority” on charges.
The subpoenas were issued to IRS Director of Field Operations Michael T. Batdorf; Darrell J. Waldon, IRS special agent in charge; Thomas J. Sobocinski, FBI special agent in charge; and Ryeshia Holley, FBI assistant special agent in charge.
“Our Committees, along with the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, have sought these interviews since IRS whistleblowers came forward with concerning allegations of political interference in the investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign influence peddling and tax evasion,” Jordan and Smith said in a statement Monday.
“Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has consistently stonewalled Congress. Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they may lead, and our subpoenas compelling testimony from Biden Administration officials are crucial to understanding how the President’s son received special treatment from federal prosecutors and who was the ultimate decision maker in the case,” Jordan and Smith said. “Americans deserve to know the truth, especially now that Attorney General Garland has appointed as special counsel the same U.S. Attorney who oversaw Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal and botched the investigation into his alleged tax crimes.”
